There is a method to which an chromatographic technique is applied as a manner for assaying simply a variety of diseases by using a body fluid such as blood, blood serum, a laryngeal wiped fluid, a nasal cavity wiped fluid, a nasal discharge, and urine as the specimen material.
The chromatography may be conducted by applying an immunochromatography kit composed of an immunochromatography examination strip for assaying an analyte (pathogenic virus) in a sample, and an examination container which can contain the sample. The examination strip is provided with a sample addition part immersed in the sample, a label holding part for holding a label material for causing an antigen-antibody reaction with respect to the material to be detected in the sample, and a judgment part to which an immobilization material causing an antigen-antibody reaction with respect to the material to be detected is immobilized, these parts being usually disposed on a substrate.
A conventional immunochromatography kit is used commonly in accordance with such a manner that a sample is transferred to an examination container, an examination strip is further inserted in the examination container, thereafter the examination container is disposed in an examination container holder such as a container casing placed on a desk, they are allowed to stand for about 20 minutes, and then, the examination container is taken out from the examination container holder to confirm the presence of lines exhibiting the presence of the material to be detected. During the assay, the sample flows through the sample addition part, the label holding part, and the judgment part in the examination strip.
However, when the substrate of the examination strip inserted in the examination container adheres to the inner wall of the examination container, there is such a case where the sample flows through a gap between the substrate and the examination container due to a capillary phenomenon. As a result, there is a case where an amount of the sample flowing through the sample addition part, the label holding part, and the judgment part decreases, whereby an adequate assay cannot be made. On one hand, when a plane on which the judgment part and the like have been formed adheres on the inner wall of the examination container, there is a case where the assay accuracy decreases.
Furthermore, there is a case where the examination container is inclined or turned over carelessly in case of placing the examination container in the examination container holder, or confirming the presence of the lines. As a consequence, there is a case where the sample in the examination container is flown off, so that the assay result cannot be obtained. In such a case, a body fluid must be collected again from the person being examined; and the reexamination must be conducted. Besides, when such sample is leaked out from the examination container, there is a possibility of the contact between the sample and the assayer.